Maternity brassiere closure

ABSTRACT

A maternity brassiere closure has a hook element with an oval central member provided with a rounded hook with thick base whose rounded bottom portion engages a tongue between the eyelet element with a noticeable click upper engagement and disengagement.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Our present invention relates to a maternity brassiere closure or buckle of the type provided between a flap of a maternity brassiere to cover the breast when it is not in use for nursing, but releaseable to expose the breasts for nursing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nursery brassiere closures are known and widely used (see Design U.S. Pat. No. 369,327 issued 30 Apr. 1996 and Design U.S. Pat. No. 412,462 issued 3 Aug. 1999).

Basically, the hook portion of such a closure is connected on the one hand to a shoulder strap of the brassiere and on the other hand to the body of the brassiere which has an opening at the brassiere cup through which the breast can be exposed for nursing, the eyelet portion is engaged with the hook.

While such maternity brassiere closures are currently in use highly successively, it has been found that improvement in them is possible.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an improved maternity closure which is more reliable and more easily used than earlier closures and which can securely maintain a closed portion even if the fabric of the brassiere is brought into disarray.

It is another object of the invention to provide a maternity closure which is particularly smooth and safe, is less likely to cause injury to the nursing infant and is capable of generating a clear signal when the fastener is opened and closed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained in accordance with the invention in a maternity brassiere closure comprising:

an injection-molded generally bilobate plastic hook element formed in one piece with an upper, downwardly concave slot adapted to receive a loop of a brassiere shoulder strap, a lower, upwardly concave slot connectable to a body of the brassiere and coplanar with the upper slot, a generally oval central member between the slots, a hook projecting perpendicularly to a plane of the slots and the central member and having an upwardly extending finger parallel to the plane and spaced from the central member, and an opening having generally the shape of the finger formed in the central member in alignment with the finger; and

an injection-molded plastic one-piece eyelet element of generally trapezoidal shape having a relatively short upper limb, a relatively long lower limb and a pair of lateral limbs inclined to the upper and lower limbs, an arcuate slot formed in the eyelet element along the lower limb and connectable to a breast-covering flap of the brassiere, a substantially rectangular window formed in the eyelet element below the upper limb whereby upon the upper limb engaging the hook, the hook is receivable in the window, and a generally rectangular tongue extending upwardly from a bottom of the window and resiliently deflectable by a base of the hook upon passage of the hook into the window.

According to a feature of the invention, the finger is rounded along all sides and the base of the hook is rounded as well to avoid any injury to the infant. The outer parameter of the hook element is likewise rounded throughout as is the trapezoidal perimeter of the eyelet element.

In another feature of this invention, the upper limb is of circular cross section and the lower limb is tapered away from the upper limb and is rounded both in cross section and along its lower perimeter.

The tongue of the eyelet element is advantageously formed as a thin portion of the eyelet located along a median plane thereof, the eyelet element being symmetrical to opposite sides of this plane.

In a further feature of the invention, the generally oval central member of the hook element can be offset slightly to the side of the median plane of that element to which the hook projects. The base of the hook is relatively thick, i.e. can have a thickness greater than that of the finger and of the central member.

The upper and lower limbs of the hook element, in turn, can be tapered away from one another and rounded in cross section. The result is a maternity brassiere closure which, because of the rounded base and tongue provides a point click indication of engagement/disengagement as well as a pedestal around the hook which is also rounded so as to minimize any danger to the infant. The rounded configuration of the oval central member and the perimeters of both the hook and the eyelet portion likewise insure safety of the infant. The two elements are advantageously injection molded of polyoxymethylene.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a hook element of the improved maternity closure;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the eyelet element of the closure;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the hook element of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view showing the two elements hooked together;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view corresponding to FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view in diagrammatic form of a part of a brassiere provided with the closure of the invention; and

FIG. 10 is an elevational view showing the eyelet element attached to the flap of the brassiere.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

In FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6, I have shown a hook element 10 of a maternity closure which can be used to secure the body of a brassiere to a shoulder strap and can engage the breast covering flap with the body of the brassiere. The hook element 10 comprises an upper limb 11 and a lower limb 12 both of which are rounded in cross section and delimit respective arcuate slots 13 and 14. The upper slot 13 is concave downwardly and the lower slot 14 is concave upwardly. The upper and lower slots receive respectively a shoulder strap and a strap extending from the body of the brassiere as will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. The hook element 10 has, in addition, a generally oval central member 15 from which a hook 16 projects in a direction perpendicular to a plane P of the slots 13 and 14. The hook 16 has a thick base 17 which is rounded at 18 and an upstanding finger 19 which is likewise rounded along its outer periphery and its transverse contours (compare FIGS. 1, 2 and 6).

The finger 19 lies parallel to the plane P and the oval portion 15 is offset slightly with respect to the plane P in the direction to which the hook projects, i.e. to the length in FIG. 2.

The eyelet portion 30 is generally of trapezoidal configuration and has an upper limb 31 of circular cross section (FIGS. 3 and 4), a lower limb 32 which is tapered downwardly in cross section and an arcuate slot 33 which is concave upwardly and receives a strap of the cover flap as will be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 10.

In addition, the corners 35 of the trapezoidal element 30 are rounded. A thin web 36 above the slot 33 is formed with a generally rectangular window 37 into which, from the bottom, extends a resiliently deflectable tongue 38. When the upper limb 31 is engaged over the hook 16 as shown in FIG. 8, and the rounded base 17 is swung into the window 37, the hook engages the tongue 38, deflects its out of its plane and permits the hook then to jump back into place providing a noticeable and strong click signaling that the tongue is retaining the hook against separation is in position. The click is generated again when the eyelet portion is rotated about the bar 31 in the hook to bring the rounded portion 18 past the tongue for disengagement. In FIG. 9, we have shown a brassiere 40 with a brassiere body 41 having a cup 42 with an opening 43 through which the breast can be exposed if the flap 44 is swung away for nursing of the infant. From FIG. 9 it can be seen that the hook element 10 can receive a loop 45 of the shoulder strap 46 in its upper slot 13 and a loop 47 of the body 41 of the brassiere in its lower slot 14. The flap 44 has a loop 48 (FIG. 10) which is received in the slot 33 of the eyelet element so that the bar 31 can be engaged over the hook finger 19. 

1. A maternity brassiere closure comprising: an injection-molded generally bilobate plastic hook element formed in one piece with an upper, downwardly concave slot adapted to receive a loop of a brassiere shoulder strap, a lower, upwardly concave slot connectable to a body of the brassiere and coplanar with the upper slot, a generally oval central member between said slots, a hook projecting perpendicularly to a plane of said slots and said central member and having an upwardly extending finger parallel to said plane and spaced from said central member, and an opening having generally the shape of said finger formed in said central member in alignment with said finger; and an injection-molded plastic one-piece eyelet element of generally trapezoidal shape having a relatively short upper limb, a relatively long lower limb and a pair of lateral limbs inclined to the upper and lower limbs, an arcuate slot formed in said eyelet element along said lower limb and connectable to a breast-covering flap of said brassiere, a substantially rectangular window formed in said eyelet element below said upper limb whereby upon said upper limb engaging said hook, said hook is receivable in said window, and a generally rectangular tongue extending upwardly from a bottom of said window and resiliently deflectable by a base of said hook upon passage of said hook into said window.
 2. The maternity brassiere closure designed in claim 1 wherein said hook is rounded along said base, along a perimeter of said finger and in transverse cross section.
 3. The maternity brassiere closure defined in claim 2 wherein said central member is offset with respect to a plane of said upper and lower slots of said hook element.
 4. The maternity brassiere closure defined in claim 3 wherein the entire perimeter of said hook element is rounded.
 5. The maternity brassiere closure defined in claim 4 wherein said hook element has upper and lower limbs delimiting said upper and lower slots outwardly and of outwardly tapering cross section.
 6. The maternity brassiere closure defined in claim 5 wherein said eyelet element is rounded along all sides and corners.
 7. The maternity brassiere closure defined in claim 6 wherein said base is thicker than said finger and said central member.
 8. The maternity brassiere closure defined in claim 7 wherein said lower limb has a cross section tapered away from said upper limb.
 9. The maternity brassiere closure defined in claim 1 wherein said eyelet element is rounded along all sides and corners.
 10. The maternity brassiere closure defined in claim 9 wherein said base is thicker than said finger and said central member.
 11. The maternity brassiere closure defined in claim 10 wherein said lower limb has a cross section tapered away from said upper limb. 